Winter walk in Coombe Wood (felt like summer!)

Another beautiful morning and I just had to squeeze in a walk. 

Cheerful daffodils leaning eagerly towards the sun. 

Tiny buds getting ready to burst into life.

Light streaming through tender leaves.

Deliciously scented Daphne.

The thickest patch of crocuses was in shadow from the back of a bench.

Pulling back to admire the daffodils and crocuses. 

The snowdrops are coming to an end. The gardener is going to lift some of them, split them and replant in order to spread them further along the edge of the path.

Goldfinches. I hadn't noticed them - the gardener pointed these out to me - four of them in the Liquid Amber Tree. I only managed to photograph two before they darted away.

I was very pleased to hear that the Council has now provided the gardener with replacement tools. He told me that he was planning to cut down the old grasses ready for the new shoots to come up either today or tomorrow. 

Beyond the little hut, over towards the Chateau restaurant there was a plate on the grass. Peculiar.

A lovely sweep of snowdrops and crocuses. 

There used to be an orange witch hazel here but I think it has expired! 

Hellebores everywhere! The gardener has removed the leaves so the shy flowers are more easily seen. (There's a small patch of hellebores in our new garden - I must do the same to them.)

The yellow witch hazel is coming to an end. 

The crazy explosions of yellow strands are turning brown and brittle.

Tiny mimosa-like leaves uncurling. 

The gardener has spent his time while waiting for the new tools, shifting huge amounts of compost and manure. The herbaceous borders look bare but looking closer tiny shoots are popping up everywhere.

A little forest of different coloured hellebores towards the end of the herbaceous border (shades of white, cream, yellow, pink and burgundy).

Beech branches against the sky. I love the patterns they make!

Sunlight through hellebore. Crazy middle! 

Pampas grass. 

Bee on crocuses. Look at all that pollen on the back of its neck. (Do bees have necks?)

Tiny shoots. New life on the way. 

Colourful corner.

Quince? 

More daffodils, all facing the sun. 

I'm including this because of the patterns (you know what I'm like with patterns!) So many verticals and horizontals criss crossing each other.

And another pattern to end with - tree shadow on topiary and hedge.

Thank you very much for joining me. 

Catching up again. 12th February walk in Coombe Wood...snowdrops etc.

I'm still coughing a lot and am on my second lot of antibiotics for a chest infection and pleurisy. I'm not up to anything energetic but I was desperate to get out - it was such a lovely day on Tuesday. I sent a message to my neighbour asking if she would like to go to Coombe Wood - it would have to be a gentle walk. We set off early in the afternoon.

So lovely to see the snowdrops.

  

A fabulous drift of lilac crocuses

Love these little yellow cup-like crocuses.

These are small but highly scented. I couldn't remember what they were called - but have looked them up - they are Daphne. I keep wanting to call them daphnia but that's a little water creature!

Daffodils on their way. 

 More snowdrops. 

and bees! Looking up from underneath you can see green stripes inside the little white snowdrop bells. 

There are many different varieties of snowdrops - some with double petals that open wide...

...others have single flowers - and different varieties have different markings.

Back for some more snowdrops later. Helebores now...all hanging their heads. (Bee to the left.)

Little stripy fly (hover fly?) on the witch hazel.

Another little patch of snowdrops - these have tight little buds. They look very similar to the snowdrops I have in my new garden.

I think this is Sarcococca - otherwise known as Christmas Box or Sweet Box. It has the tiniest white flowers with a very powerful scent.

Evidence of where the gardener was working. 

And here he is in his new uniform. The council have taken back the contract for the gardening - the old company have had their tools back and although the council have given him his uniform they haven't given him any replacement tools yet. so he is a bit a little limited with what he can do. He did have a wheelbarrow and rake (I wonder if he brought his own) and was working hard mulching the borders.

The gardener asked us if we would like to see the bees. We were allowed to walk across the border, through the arch and into the courtyard where there are 3 bee hives. This is a view I haven't seen before - from the back of the flower bed.

There was quite a bit of activity around the hives. One or two bees had come in too low and got themselves the wrong side of the netting. I watched as one worked out how to get back over to the hive.

Several bees going in and out. 

A brief interlude for some patterns. I can resist a pattern! I found it interesting how the netting looks different colours depending on whether it's in light or shade and what's in the background, contrasting with it.

More patterns where two sections of netting are joined.

A bee on a Balkan Anemone.

The centre almost looks luminous! 

More snowdrops. 

The little green stripes inside these snowdrops show up well from underneath.

The gardener pointed out the pink edgeed leaves of an allium beginning to come up.

A deep red helebore.

Can't resist some more snowdrops. 

These have an extra green band. 

Fungi..

A band of fungi like a porch/ canopy over the hole in the tree trunk.

Another swathe of snowdrops.

Lovely blue sky. 

And something we found in the Coach House Cafe - Coombe Wood honey from the bee hives the gardener had shown us. Quite expensive but as a friend pointed out, there would be a limited supply!

Unfortunately I haven't managed another a walk since then. The cough has been really annoying! I really hope I am able to get out and about a bit more next week. 

Thank you very much for joining me.